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IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - Tuesday, August 21 at Pawtucket (Red Sox)

August 21, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2012 w MCCOY STADIUM

GAME #131 - ROAD GAME #65 - 7:05 P.M.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS (66-64) at PAWTUCKET RED SOX (70-61)

LHP PEDRO HERNANDEZ (1-1, 4.50) vs. RHP DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (0-3, 3.68)

THE BEE GEES WOULD BE PROUD: The Rochester Red Wings tonight play the finale of their 2-game roadtrip and series at International League Wild Card-leading Pawtucket (Red Sox). The Red Wings won 9-6 in last night's opener, snapping a 3-game losing streak. Rochester returns home tomorrow for a 3-game series against Lehigh Valley (Phillies) before hitting the road again to Buffalo (Mets) for a 5-game set, which includes a doubleheader on Sunday.

a Beginning Thursday vs. Lehigh Valley, each of Rochester's final 12 games can be seen on Time Warner Cable Sports (TWCS) Channel 26.

STAYIN' ALIVE: The Red Wings are 3.5 games out of the IL Wild Card spot with 14 games to go. The Red Wings have 4 teams ahead of them, however, in Pawtucket (70-61), Lehigh Valley (69-61), Columbus (67-63), and Norfolk (67-64).

a The Red Wings are 1-2 thus far in a 17-game stretch against IL North Division teams that closes out the regular season. Rochester is just 26-40 against its division rivals overall. The Wings went 40-24 outside the IL North.

ROSTER NEWS: The Minnesota Twins yesterday outrighted righthander Nick Blackburn to Triple-A Rochester. The 30-year-old went 4-9 with a 7.39 ERA in 19 starts with the Twins. He went 0-4 with a 6.11 ERA (24 ER/35.1 IP) in 6 starts in his most recent stint after being recalled from Rochester July 18.

a Blackburn has made 4 starts with the Red Wings in 2012, including 2 rehab outings. He is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in the 4 starts.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?: The Red Wings yesterday snapped a 3-game losing streak to avoid their first losing streak of at least 4 games since a 4-game skid May 25-28. They are 7-8 since a season-best 7-game winning streak July 29-August 5 and are 11-8 in August.

STILL AMONG THE ELITE: The Red Wings have the 2nd-best record in the IL beginning July 1 at 29-19. Here's a look at the Top-5 records since the start of July, led by Charlotte (White Sox), which has won 9 of its last 10:

Rank Team Record Win %

1. Charlotte 29-18 .617

2. Rochester 29-19 .604

3. Empire State 28-19 .596

4. Columbus 26-21 .553

5. Indianapolis 26-22 .542

a The Red Wings are 46-34 since sitting a season-worst 10 games below .500 at 20-30 on May 28. Going back further, Rochester is 52-41 beginning May 15.

WINNING WAYS: At 66-64, the Red Wings are off to their best 130-game start since 2007, when they were 70-60. The Red Wings in 2012 are looking for their first winning season since the 2008 club went 74-70. Rochester needs to win 7 of its final 14 games to finish above .500.

HOME ON THE ROAD: The Red Wings are just 25-31 in true road games, but they have won 9 of their last 10, 13 of their last 18, and 14 of their last 20 away from Frontier Field. Rochester yesterday began a begin a stretch of playing 9 of their final 15 games on the road.

a The Wings are 3-4 at Pawtucket, 0-3 at Buffalo, and 2-4 at Syracuse, the 3 remaining road cities left on the 2012 docket.

a The Wings posted an 8-game road winning streak July 29-August 12, their longest such streak since at least 1981.

NEAR PAWFECT: The Red Wings have won 2 in a row against Pawtucket, as well as 4 of their last 5 and 5 of their last 7 against the IL Wild Card leader. The Wings need a victory tonight to gain a split of the 16-game season series. Rochester hasn't won a season series against the PawSox since going 10-6 against them in 2009.

a The Wings have hit 13 homers in 15 games against Pawtucket, their most against any IL opponent.

a Speaking of homers, the Red Wings have hit 19 in August for the 2nd most in the IL behind only Empire State's 21.

A GRANDIOSE OCCASION: Wilkin Ramirez yesterday hit the Red Wings' 3rd grand slam of the season, joining the feats of Rene Rivera July 30 at Columbus and Evan Bigley August 4 at Toledo.

a The Red Wings have 3 grand slams in the last 21 games after going 427 consecutive games without one. Their most-recent grand slam prior to 2012 came August 10, 2009, when Justin Huber turned the trick at Buffalo.

a Rochester hasn't hit a grand slam at Frontier Field since Trevor Plouffe accomplished the feat August 30, 2008. That grand slam drought is currently at 287 games.

HEARING FOOTSTEPS: The Red Wings yesterday eclipsed the 500-run plateau, getting to 503 in their 130th game. The Wings trail Lehigh Valley by only 2 runs to get out of the runs-scored cellar. Lehigh was rained out yesterday vs. Toledo, but both the Wings and IronPigs have played the same amount of games.

a The Red Wings have grounded into 8 double plays in their 5 games, but they have hit into just 80 overall for the 2nd-lowest total in the league. Indianapolis has grounded into a league-low 77 double plays.

LET'S GET IT STARTED: Red Wings starting pitchers have just 2 wins in the last 8 games, both of which have come from Esmerling Vasquez Wednesday vs. Indianapolis and yesterday at Pawtucket. Wings starters are 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA (18 ER/40.2 IP) in that time, though 2 were abbreviated starts from the rehabbing P.J. Walters. The last Wings starter other than Vasquez to earn a win was Liam Hendriks August 12 at Lehigh Valley.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

0 Opponent Time Probable Starters TV/Radio

Wed., August 22 vs. Lehigh Valley 7:05 p.m. RHP Tom Cochran (7-5, 4.45) vs. RHP Nick Blackburn (2-0, A0 WHTK 1280 AM

Thursday, August 23 vs. Lehigh Valley 7:05 p.m. RHP Scott Elarton (5-11, 5.48) vs. RHP Shairon Martis (2-3, 6.75) TWCS 26/WHTK 1280 AM

Friday, August 24 vs. Lehigh Valley 7:05 p.m. RHP Tyler Cloyd (12-1, 2.27) vs. RHP P.J. Walters (3-1, A0 TWCS 26/WHTK 1280 AM

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